This overview is based on dialectal distinctions in Orkney Scots as of the beginning of the 20th century mentioned by Hugh Marwick in his "Orkney Norn" (1929) on p. 228, where he describes phonetic distinctions between various Orkney parishes (see the table below). These variations are
of a rather minor nature, except the remote parish of North Ronaldsay which noticeably stands out.

In addition to phonetic issues, Marwick recalls one grammatical distinction: formerly feminine names in -o ( < ON -a) regularly change the ending to -ick in East Mainland and South Isles: Willick for Whillo, Merrick for Merro (Mary), paalick for paalo etc. (see p. XXIX).

The overview
below reflects phonetic variations in the pronunciation of words of Nordic origin that were still in use in Orkney
in the early 20th century, although there is no doubt that in addition to Scandinavian features there are ones coming from English/Scots.

Orkney
Scots >

tang
(sea-weed)

long

tangle
(sea-weed)

sang

ran

came

bone

stone

home

one
(in combina-tion -
not one)
(no e:n ə'va)

kale

ale

whole

tale

shame

Skail

Old Norse
>

þang

langr

þǫngull

sǫng

rann

kom

bein

steinn

heim(a)

einn

Sc. cale
Eng. cole
ON kál

ǫl

heill

tala

skǫmm

Skáli

Parishes:

No. Ronaldsay

tǫ:ŋ

lǫ:ŋ

tǫ:ŋl

sǫ:ŋ

rǫ:ŋ

kǫ:m

be:n1

ste:n1

he:m1

e:n

tje:l2

e:l

he:l

te:l

ʃe:m

stje:l2

Sanday

taŋ

laŋ

taŋl

saŋ

ran

kam

bin

stin

him

in

kil

il

""

til

ʃim

skil

Eday

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

hil

te:l

""

""

Stronsay

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

ke:l

""

""

til

""

""

Westray

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

kjil

""

""

""

""

""

Rousay

tɔŋ

lɔŋ

tɔŋl

sɔŋ

rɔn

kɔm

""

""

""

in,wan

""

""

""

""

""

skjil

Deerness

taŋ

loŋ

taŋl

saŋ

ran

kam

be:n,
bɔn

""

""

"",""

kil

""

""

te:l,
til

ʃi:m

skil

Tankerness

""

""

""

""

""

""

bɔn

stɔn

""

"",""

""

e:l

he:l

te:l

""

ske:l

Holm

""

""

""

""

""

""

be:n

ste:n

he:m

in

ke:l

""

""

""

ʃe:m

""

Orphir

""

""

""

""

""

""

bɔn

stɔn

hɔm

wan

""

""

ho:l

""

""

""

Birsay

"

lɔŋ

tɔŋl

""

""

""

be:n

ste:n

he:m

e:n

""

""

he:l

""

""

""

Evie

tɔŋ

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

ʃim

""

Firth

taŋ

loŋ

taŋl

""

""

""

""

stɔn

hɔm

wan

""

""

ho:l

""

ʃe:m

""

Harray

""

laŋ

""

""

""

""

""

ste:n

he:m

""

""

""

he:l

""

""

""

Stromness

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

e:n

kje:l

""

""

""

""

skje:l

So. Ronaldsay

""

loŋ

""

""

""

""

""

""

ho:m

wan.in

ke:l

""

ho:l

""

""

ske:l

Burray

""

""

""

""

""

""

"

sto:n

""

wan

""

""

""

""

ʃim

""

Walls

""

lɔŋ

""

""

""

""

bo:n

""

""

""

""

""

he:l

""

ʃe:m

""

1 In all
districts there is a tendency for bɔn,stɔn,hɔm to supplant the other forms.2 After [k] there is always and everywhere a tendency to interject a [j] sound when a front vowel follows, but in some islands it is more marked than in others.